Around 18 soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack; the radical movement targeted a military base in the province of Farah in the west of Afghanistan, according to Tolo News, citing the representative of the provincial council Dadullu Kani, Sputnik reported.
The attack occurred on Saturday at 2.00 a.m. in the Bala Buluk district. In addition, the militants captured a large number of weapons.
"Last night a big group of militants attacked an army base in the Bala Buluk district of Farah. Unfortunately, we lost 18 soldiers; two soldiers were wounded. We have sent more reinforcements to the area," Defense Ministry spokesman Daulat Wazir said.
The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated noticeably in recent months. The radical Taliban movement, which had previously seized considerable territory in rural areas of the country, has launched an offensive against large cities. Additionally, the influence of Daesh (also known as ISIL or ISIS) has increased in the country.
Afghanistan is in a state of political and social turmoil, with government security forces fighting the Taliban. The instability has persisted in the country since the United States launched a military operation on October 7, 2001 to defeat the Taliban and al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks.